Pretty in pink

Why are girls, and particularly young girls, drawn to the colour pink? Is it something society has instilled in them? Or is something attractive about the colour itself? Shops seem to be full of pink clothes for young girls - are they reacting to demand or just forcing their designs upon children who would not otherwise choose this colour? (Continued)

• Previous answers drew attention to a study in 2007 by Anya Hurlbert and Yazhu Ling to support the idea that girls have an innate preference for pink (Current Biology, vol 17, p R623). In fact, the study came up with less definite results than the ensuing press coverage would have us believe.

The pair's suggestion that a preference for red (note red, not pink) relates to recognising ripe fruit is, they would agree, speculation. The experiment was not designed to test such a hypothesis. Post-hoc rationalisation of ...

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